If you love dark, tender poultry and crisp skin, start by making braised chicken thighs and turn the technique on its head. Usually, the braising technique consists of browning food, then cooking it slowly in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid. Here, to get the skin crisp, the browned chicken goes into a baking dish with red onions, carrots, white wine, chicken stock, and a touch of honey and vinegar to make a rich sauce. While the vegetables cook in the liquid around the poultry, the exposed chicken skin crisps and browns. The cooking juices make a flavorful sauce.

For the second dish, saute mushrooms, add a few handfuls of baby spinach, cooked chicken, vegetables, and rice, and reheat them together to serve chicken and rice bowls — an almost instant supper. No convenience foods necessary.